into the world as light

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

John 12:46

I notice four profound observations from this simple declaration Jesus has made. First, Jesus came into this world. He came from the presence of God the Father, down from heaven’s throne room, to enter into this world. He was born a human, yet God. He chose to enter this place. But Jesus is not from this world. Heaven invaded earth when Jesus came into the world.

Secondly, Jesus came into the world and lit this world. He is the light. And just as light is the first creation God spoke into being in the universe, so Jesus as light is the beginning of all new creation that He does. We must be drawn to His light before we can see Him as Lord or know His saving grace. Jesus is the light!

Third, Jesus calls us to believe Him. Not just that, but to believe IN Him. His words are truth. And Jesus Himself is the truth. He is Who and what we believe. Jesus is what corrects what is wrong in the world. The world offers no useful perspective on Jesus, but rather, we believe Him for perspective on everything else. It is central to Christianity to have faith in Christ adjust our view and understanding of all the rest of life.

Finally, Jesus dispels the darkness. By believing Jesus, Who came into this world as the light, we see clearly and are no longer in the dark. This also means that what is outside the light is indeed hopelessly dark. We see the darkness we once were in and go toward the light! We reject the dark and follow what the light reveals. And in the bright life that Jesus shines on us we rejoice and live confidently in His revealed truth as we believe Jesus and now walk in the light that is Him!